Longitudinal gate hopper car without partitions

ABSTRACT

According to some embodiments, a railcar comprises an underframe, a pair of sidewall assemblies, a pair of end wall assemblies, and one hopper bay formed between the pair of sidewall assemblies and the pair of end wall assemblies. The one hopper bay includes a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper bay. The one hopper bay may extend the length of the railcar. The railcar may further comprise one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper bay and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening. The one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/526,445 entitled “LONGITUDINAL GATE HOPPER CAR WITHOUT PARTITIONS,” filed Jun. 29, 2017 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/618,739 entitled “HOPPER CAR WITH INCREASED VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY,” filed Jan. 18, 2018, the entire content of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Particular embodiments relate generally to railcars, and more particularly to a hopper car with a single hopper, a single discharge opening, and/or a single longitudinal gate (i.e., no partitions).

BACKGROUND

Railway hopper cars transport and sometimes store bulk materials. Hopper cars generally include one or more hoppers which may hold cargo or lading during shipment. Hopper cars are frequently used to transport coal, sand, metal ores, aggregates, grain and any other type of lading which may be satisfactorily discharged through openings formed in one or more hoppers. Discharge openings are typically provided at or near the bottom of each hopper to rapidly discharge cargo. A variety of door assemblies or gate assemblies along with various operating mechanisms have been used to open and close discharge openings associated with railway hopper cars.

Transversely oriented discharge openings and gates are frequently coupled with a common linkage operated by an air cylinder. The air cylinder is typically mounted in the same orientation as the operating gate linkage which is often a longitudinal direction relative to the associated hopper.

Longitudinally oriented discharge openings and doors are often used in pairs that may be rotated or pivoted relative to the center sill or side sills of a hopper car. Longitudinally oriented discharge openings and doors may be coupled with a beam operated by an air cylinder. The air cylinder is typically mounted in the same orientation as the operating beam which is often a longitudinal direction relative to the associated hopper. The operating beam may be coupled to the discharge doors by door struts that push (or pull) the gates open or pull (or push) them closed as the air cylinder moves the operating beam back and forth.

Hopper cars may be classified as open or covered (enclosed). Hopper cars may have relatively short sidewalls and end walls or relatively tall or high sidewalls and end walls. The sidewalls and end walls of many hopper cars are often formed from steel or aluminum sheets and reinforced with a plurality of vertical side stakes or support posts. Some hopper cars include interior frame structures or braces to provide additional support for the sidewalls.

SUMMARY

Currently, covered hopper cars with longitudinal openings and gates are configured with two, three, or four sets of openings and gates with partition sheets separating the car into bays. The openings and covering gates are generally a fixed size that is shorter than the bays. Thus, sloped sheets are used to direct the lading into the gate during discharging of the hopper car. The sloped sheets result in a triangular shaped void area between bays where no lading is carried. The void space is disadvantageous because the hopper car is made longer to replace the lost volume.

Particular embodiments generally include a hopper car with a single bay, a single longitudinally oriented opening that extends the length of the bay, and one or more longitudinal gates that extend the length of the opening.

According to some embodiments, a railcar comprises an underframe, a pair of sidewall assemblies, a pair of end wall assemblies, and one hopper bay formed between the pair of sidewall assemblies and the pair of end wall assemblies. The one hopper bay includes a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper bay.

In particular embodiments, the one hopper bay extends the length of the railcar. The railcar may further comprise one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper bay and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening, wherein the one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening.

According to some embodiments, a hopper for a railcar comprises a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper. The hopper extends the length of a railcar when coupled to the railcar.

In particular embodiments, the hopper further comprises one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening. The one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening.

According to some embodiments, a railcar comprises a pair of trucks disposed near each end of the railcar and coupled to a center sill. One hopper is disposed between the pair of trucks and coupled to the center sill. The one hopper includes a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper.

In particular embodiments, the one hopper extends from one truck of the pair of trucks to the other truck of the pair trucks. The railcar may further comprise one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper bay and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening. The one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening.

As a result, particular embodiments of the present disclosure may provide numerous technical advantages. For example, because the discharge opening is not shorter than the bay, the need for a partition sheet is eliminated. The triangular void space created by the partition sheet is also eliminated. The hopper car can be shortened while transporting the same volume. A shorter hopper car reduces overall train length and improves operation on the railroad. In some embodiments, eliminating the partition sheet saves weight and reduces cost. Particular embodiments of the present disclosure may provide some, none, all, or additional technical advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the particular embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following written description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of an example hopper car;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of an example hopper car highlighting the void space between hopper bays;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of an example hopper car with a single hopper bay and longitudinal discharge gate, according to a particular embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating longitudinal discharge doors underneath an example hopper car, according to a particular embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Railway hopper cars generally include two or more hoppers which may hold cargo or lading (e.g., bulk materials) during shipment. Hopper cars may be classified as open or covered (enclosed). Hopper cars may have relatively short sidewalls and end walls or relatively tall or high sidewalls and end walls. The sidewalls and end walls of many hopper cars are often formed from steel or aluminum sheets and reinforced with a plurality of vertical side stakes or support posts. Some hopper cars include interior frame structures or braces to provide additional support for the sidewalls. Alternatively, covered hoppers may be built with a monocoque body design employing a curved roof and sides which provide the structural support for the car body and obviate the need for external side stakes.

Hopper cars frequently transport coal, sand, metal ores, aggregates, grain, plastic pellets, and any other type of lading which may be satisfactorily discharged through openings formed in one or more hoppers. Discharge openings are typically provided at or near the bottom of each hopper to rapidly discharge cargo. Discharge openings in conventional hopper cars are of fixed size, which limits the geometry of usable volume within hopper cars. A variety of door assemblies or gate assemblies along with various operating mechanisms have been used to open and close discharge openings associated with railway hopper cars.

Using fixed discharge openings requires multiple hoppers to carry a certain volume of cargo with a certain discharge rate. The use of multiple hoppers creates a substantial amount of empty and unusable space between each hopper, under the peak of the longitudinal hopper sheets (the “cross-ridge”) of the car which separates the compartments. Lengthening the car to increase the volumetric capacity also increases the distance between hoppers, which raises the intersection point between hopper sheets, thereby further increasing the volume of empty and unusable space. Furthermore, as the car is lengthened, it must also be narrowed to maintain compliance with regulatory clearance requirements, further reducing the marginal volume increase gained by lengthening the car.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of an example hopper car. Hopper car 20 may be generally described as a covered hopper car, and may carry bulk materials such as sand, sugar, grain, and other agricultural products. Other hopper cars, however, may include open hopper cars, which typically carry coal, metal ores, aggregates or ballast, or any other cars suitable for carrying bulk lading.

Hopper car 20 includes compartments 22 each with hopper 24. Hoppers 24 may be opened and closed to control discharge of lading from compartments 22. As illustrated, hopper car 20 includes two compartments (or bays) 22. Hoppers 24 may include transverse or longitudinal discharge gates.

Compartment 22 is configured to carry bulk materials and the interior walls of compartment 22 are generally sloped towards hopper 24 to facilitate discharge of the lading. Multiple compartments 22 may be separated by interior bulkheads or partitions (as illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2).

Hopper car 20 may include a pair of sidewall assemblies 26 and sloped end wall assemblies 28 mounted on a railway car underframe. The railway car underframe includes center sill 34 and a pair of shear plates 30. A pair of side sills 32 provide support for sidewall assemblies 26.

Center sill 34 is a structural element for carrying the loads of the hopper car. Center sill 34 transfers the various longitudinal forces encountered during train operation from car to car. Shear plates 30 extend generally parallel with center sill 34 and are spaced laterally from opposite sides of center sill 34.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of an example hopper car highlighting the void space between hopper bays. Hopper car 20 includes compartment 22 a and compartment 22 b. Within hopper car 20, compartment 22 a is separated from compartment 22 b by partition 37. Partition 37 may comprise a steel partition. Partition 37 may also be referred to as a partition sheet. Partition 37 extends transversely across the interior of hopper car 20 from one sidewall assembly 26 to the other sidewall assembly 26.

Partition slope sheet 38 is coupled to partition 37 to direct lading to hopper 24. For example, partition slope sheet 38 a directs lading to hopper 24 a, and partition slope sheet 38 b directs lading to hopper 24 b. Partition slope sheet 38 may comprise a steel partition. Partition slope sheet 38 extends transversely across the interior of hopper car 20 from one sidewall assembly 26 to the other sidewall assembly 26.

Partition slope sheets 38 a and 38 b may intersect at partition 37, forming a triangular area beneath partition slope sheets 38 a and 38 b. The triangular area under partition slope sheets 38 a and 38 b is space that cannot be used for transporting a commodity. For example, cargo must be carried above partition slope sheets 38 a and 38 b for partition sheets 38 a and 38 b to direct the cargo or landing to hoppers 24 a and 24 b, respectively. To increase the volume of hopper car 20 to make up for the void space, hopper car 20 may be lengthened. Because the discharge openings are of a fixed size, lengthening hopper car 20 requires partition slope sheets 38 a and 38 b to extend longer from partition 37. At a certain point, however, slope sheets 38 a and 38 b may have a slope that does not facilitate directing lading to hoppers 24 a and 24 b.

For example, certain lading may have an effective viscosity that gravity overcomes to discharge through hoppers 24 a and 24 b when open. If the slopes are too lowly graded, then gravity may not overcome the viscosity and residual lading may reside in hopper car 20 and/or the discharge rate may be reduced. To overcome the limitation, the conventional solution is to increase the number of openings and hoppers, thereby introducing additional partitions 37, which further increases the amount of unusable volume.

Particular embodiments obviate the problems described above and include a hopper car with a single hopper bay with one or more longitudinal discharge openings extending the entire length of the bay. Some embodiments may include a longitudinal gate that covers the longitudinal discharge openings. Because the discharge opening is not shorter than the length of the bay, the partition sheet is not needed. The triangular void space is also eliminated, and the hopper car can be shortened while transporting the same volume. A shorter hopper car reduces overall train length and improves operation on the railroad. In some embodiments, eliminating the partition sheet saves weight and reduces cost.

Particular embodiments are described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Like numbers may be used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of an example hopper car with a single hopper bay and longitudinal discharge opening, according to a particular embodiment. Hopper car 40 be generally described as a covered hopper car and may carry bulk materials such as sand, sugar, grain, and other agricultural products, for example. Other hopper cars, however, may include open hopper cars, which may carry coal, metal ores, aggregates, ballast, etc. Hopper car 40 includes one compartment 42 with hopper 44. Hopper 44 may be opened and closed to control discharge of lading from compartment 42. Hopper 44 comprises a longitudinal discharge opening and gate, as described in further detail in FIG. 4.

Compartment 42 is configured to carry bulk materials and the interior walls of compartment 42 are generally sloped towards the discharge opening of hopper 44 to facilitate discharge of the lading. With a single compartment 42, interior bulkheads or partitions are not required.

The flow rate of the lading of single compartment 42 may be controlled by the size of the discharge opening in hopper 44. In some embodiments, the discharge opening of hopper 44 may extend the length of hopper car 40 to facilitate a sufficiently high discharge rate of lading from single compartment 42 and ensure that substantially all lading is discharged.

The size of the opening of hopper 44 may be adjusted based on the desired car capacity, including the desired length of hopper car 40. The size of the discharge opening of hopper 44 may also be adjusted.

In some embodiments, hopper 44 includes a single discharge opening. In some embodiments, hopper 44 may include two longitudinal discharge openings, one on each side of center sill 34, for example.

Hopper car 40 may include a pair of sidewall assemblies 26 and sloped end wall assemblies 28 mounted on a railway car underframe. The railway car underframe includes center sill 34, trucks 28, and a pair of shear plates 30. A pair of side sills 32 provide support for sidewall assemblies 26.

Center sill 34 is a structural element for carrying the loads of hopper car 40. Center sill 34 transfers the various longitudinal forces encountered during train operation from car to car. Shear plates 30 extend generally parallel with center sill 34 and are spaced laterally from opposite sides of center sill 34.

Hopper car 40 may transport the same volume of commodity as hopper car 20, but in a shorter length car. The overall length of hopper car 40 may be shorter than hopper car 20 because hopper car 40 does not include ridges between multiple hopper bays. For example, the triangular void areas between partition slope sheets 38 a and 38 b may be eliminated by having the opening of discharge assembly 60 extend along a substantial portion of the length of hopper car 40.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating longitudinal discharge doors underneath an example hopper car, according to a particular embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates a discharge assembly 60 that may be coupled to hopper 44 illustrated in FIG. 3. In particular embodiments, discharge assembly 60 comprises operating beam 62, discharge doors 64, guides 66, door struts 68, and operating cylinder 70.

Operating beam 62 is coupled to center sill 34 by guides 66. Operating beam 62 is coupled to discharge door 64 by door struts 68. Operating cylinder 70 is coupled to operating beam 62 and is operable to move operating beam 62 back and forth through guides 66.

Operating beam 62 may comprise a steel box beam, may be extruded from aluminum or steel, may be pultruded as a fiber reinforced composite, such as a fiber or carbon composite, or any other suitable material.

Portions of slope sheet 36 cooperate with adjacent portions of center sill 34 to define longitudinal discharge openings. Longitudinal discharge openings may be disposed along opposite sides of center sill 34. The longitudinal discharge openings may extend the length of hopper car 40 or the length of compartment 42. The discharge openings may be optimized for the specific hopper car 40 to maximize its volumetric capacity.

Discharge doors 64 are hinged proximate to center sill 34. Various types of mechanical hinges may engage discharge doors 64 with center sill 34. Discharge doors 64 may be oriented longitudinally and extend the length of the longitudinal discharge openings. Discharge doors 64 may be configured to match the longitudinal discharge openings and extend along the length of hopper car 40.

Discharge doors 64 are illustrated in the closed position, which prevents the discharge of lading through the longitudinal discharge openings. In operation, operating cylinder 70 moves operating beam 62 through guides 66 to open discharge doors 64 via door struts 68.

At a first end, door struts 68 are rotationally coupled to operating beam 62. At a second end, door struts 68 are rotationally coupled to discharge door 64. In particular embodiments, rotational coupling may be achieved via ball joints.

Operating cylinder 70 is operable to move operating beam 62 back and forth through guides 66. In particular embodiments, operating cylinder 70 may comprise a pneumatic cylinder, or any type of motor suitable for moving operating beam 62 in a longitudinal direction.

Longitudinal movement of operating beam 62 results in radial extension of door struts 68 to move discharge doors 64 from their open position to their closed position. Movement of operating beam 62 in the opposite direction results in pulling, pushing, or moving discharge doors from their closed position to their open position which allows rapid discharge of any lading contained within railway hopper car 20.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates a particular type of longitudinal gate, some embodiments may include other configurations of hinge operated longitudinal gates or other types of longitudinal gates, such as sliding longitudinal gates.

When particular components are described herein as the same length as other components, the phrase “same length” refers to substantially the same length or approximately the same length. For example, when a discharge opening is described as the same length as a hopper, the discharge opening may be substantially or approximately the same length as the hopper accounting for any supporting structure (e.g., cross members, braces, etc.) at each end of the hopper. Similarly, when a hopper or discharge opening is referred to as extending the length of the railcar, the hopper or discharge opening extends the length of the railcar usable for transporting lading (e.g., excluding end portions reserved for other components, such as the coupling equipment, ladders, etc. illustrated in FIGS. 1-3). Thus, the exact measurements of the two components may differ, but the components may be referred to as the same length for purposes of comparison and description herein.

Certain embodiments may facilitate a variety of gate sizes and shapes, which may be optimized based on the density and flow characteristics of any desired commodity hauled in hopper car 40. An advantage is that particular embodiments improve upon design constraints imposed by currently used conventional gates that prevent such optimization. Further, the longitudinal discharge openings may facilitate the reduction of one or more compartments and provide for a more efficient car design by removing much of the unused space which exists under the cross-ridge in current car designs. More efficient use of the cross-sectional area of the car facilitates the overall length of covered hopper cars to be substantially reduced, with the potential of increasing the number of cars and the resulting tonnage in a given length of train.

Although particular embodiments and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alternations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. 

1. A railcar comprising: an underframe, a pair of sidewall assemblies, a pair of end wall assemblies, and one hopper bay formed between the pair of sidewall assemblies and the pair of end wall assemblies; wherein the one hopper bay includes a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper bay.
 2. The railcar of claim 1, wherein the one hopper bay extends the length of the railcar.
 3. The railcar of claim 1, further comprising one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper bay and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening, wherein the one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening.
 4. A hopper for a railcar, the hopper comprising: a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper; and wherein the hopper extends the length of a railcar when coupled to the railcar.
 5. The hopper of claim 4, further comprising one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening, wherein the one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening.
 6. A railcar comprising: a pair of trucks disposed near each end of the railcar and coupled to a center sill; and one hopper disposed between the pair of trucks and coupled to the center sill; wherein the one hopper includes a longitudinal discharge opening extending the length of the hopper.
 7. The railcar of claim 1, wherein the one hopper extends from one truck of the pair of trucks to the other truck of the pair trucks.
 8. The railcar of claim 1, further comprising one or more longitudinal discharge gates coupled to the hopper bay and configured to cover the longitudinal discharge opening, wherein the one or more longitudinal discharge gates are movable away from the longitudinal discharge opening, thereby allowing lading within the hopper to discharge through the longitudinal opening. 